Bulls Notes: White, DeRozan, LaVine, Craig, Lewis
Coby White, who is battling for the starting point guard spot, has emerged as a vocal leader for the Bulls, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. He previously deferred to more experienced players but now feels comfortable voicing his opinion.
“Being a young guy, you fall into this thing of, ‘I’m young.’ Especially on a team full of guys are older who have won, been in the playoffs a bunch of times. AC [Alex Caruso] has been a champion. You get that mindset of, ‘They have more experience than me. They know more than me. My opinion doesn’t matter,’” he said. “I didn’t know how much guys respected my opinion—and my connection with every guy on the team—until last year. I’m continuing to grow into it. And it feels natural for me at this point.”
We have more on the Bulls:
- Jamal Collier of ESPN hears from sources that the extension talks the front office has had with DeMar DeRozan have been “preliminary.” Bulls head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas confirmed at the start of training camp that he has spoken to DeRozan’s agent Aaron Goodwin about a new deal for his client. DeRozan will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension.
- In the same story, Zach LaVine says his reps aren’t behind the trade rumors that have persisted even after he signed an extension last year. “My camp isn’t putting them out,” LaVine said. “I committed to the Bulls when I signed my five-year deal. So until I’m not, I’m committed to the Bulls. I’ve always brought professionalism and consistent play, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
- Patrick Williams started at power forward during the preseason opener, but newcomer Torrey Craig showed what he could bring to the table when he came off the bench, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes. He made aggressive offensive moves to the basket and also relentlessly attacked the glass at both ends. “It’s a lot of different things you can do to impact winning. I always tell people that,” Craig said. “It’s a million things you can do to impact winning, whether it’s getting deflections, offensive rebounding, blocking shots, getting steals, making threes, making the hustle plays, 50-50 plays, being a good teammate on the bench, being a (good) locker room guy. … But I think it goes unnoticed because this league is based off talent and big-number guys.” Craig left Phoenix and signed a two-year contract as a free agent in July.
- Justin Lewis is still trying to settle in after recovering from an ACL tear suffered in August 2022, he told Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I still feel like I need some game reps,” Lewis said. “I feel like I’m getting better day by day. Just learning everything. Plays, defensive strategy, offensive strategy. I feel like I’ll keep progressing as the season goes. As I keep playing.” Lewis, who was undrafted in 2022 out of Marquette, signed a two-year, two-way contract in March.
Northwest Notes: Collins, Dunn, Adelman, Milton
John Collins admits the constant trade rumors he endured during his time with the Hawks wore on him mentally, he told Sarah Todd of the Deseret News.
“It definitely didn’t help,” he said. “It made me think that I was doing something wrong. A little lost. I thought I’d been doing things right, leading in my way, helping in the community, being a part of the team and impacting things. Even through everything, especially with the contract I was able to earn, I thought I was moving toward something longstanding.”
Collins looks at this season with the Jazz as more than just a fresh start. He has noticed a different vibe in Utah’s locker room.
“To be successful in this league, you’ve got to think about yourself in a certain way,” he said. “But here, there’s that essence of wanting to win together, regardless of how good anyone is individually. It’s refreshing to be in a locker room with a lack of ego and I’m happy to be part of it.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Kris Dunn‘s future with the Jazz remains cloudy but he certainly didn’t hurt his cause in the preseason opener, Todd notes in a separate story. Dunn finished with 15 points, five assists, two steals and made all seven of his field goal attempts. Dunn’s $2.59MM salary will become guaranteed if he’s on the opening night roster.
- David Adelman coached the Nuggets against the Suns on Tuesday, Katy Winge of Altitude TV tweets. Michael Malone is not with the team following the death of his father, longtime NBA coach Brendan Malone.
- Shake Milton appears to be settling on the Timberwolves’ second unit behind Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards. Milton, who scored 12 points in the team’s preseason opener, will be looked upon for scoring with that unit, as well as being a trustworthy play-maker and pick-and-roll partner with Rudy Gobert, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. “We’ve talked a lot about him internally and been so happy and surprised, even better than we thought he could be,” coach Chris Finch said. Milton left the Sixers and signed a two-year, $10MM deal with Minnesota at the start of free agency.
Nuggets Picking Up Christian Braun’s Third-Year Option
The Nuggets are picking up their third-year option on Christian Braun, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
It’s a mere formality, as Braun has already earned a prominent role with the defending champions. There was no doubt Denver would retain him on his rookie scale contract.
Braun is expected to be the first reserve off the bench in his second season. He appeared in 76 regular season games as a rookie, averaging 4.7 points in 15.5 minutes per game, and saw action in 19 playoff games, contributing 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per contest.
The 21st overall pick of last year’s draft, Braun’s third-year option for the 2024/25 season is worth $3,089,640. He’ll make $2,949,120 this season and Denver holds a fourth-year option worth $4,921,797, which must be exercised by the end of next October.
New York Notes: Simmons, Thomas, Exhibition Game, Toppin
The initial returns on Ben Simmons‘ comeback from the back ailment that wrecked his 2022/23 season were encouraging, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The Nets guard had 10 points, three assists and a steal in 14 first-half minutes against the Lakers on Monday.
“[It felt] amazing. That’s really it, just amazing,” Simmons said. “Happy to be out there, and compete, and feel good out there and able to contribute like I know how I can. So I felt great. It’s the best in two years for sure.”
We have more on the New York teams:
- In the same game, Cam Thomas led the Nets with 26 points. His other contributions were more noteworthy to coach Jacque Vaughn as Thomas tries to secure a rotation spot, Lewis writes in a separate story. “He can flat out score the basketball,” Vaughn said. “I look at the other things, and he knows that. What were the box outs? Was he running hard? Is he communicating with his teammates? Did he know where he was supposed to be on the floor? So those things he’s really taken strides in and give him a lot of credit. And with credit comes playing time.” Thomas’ $2,240,160 salary for this season was picked up by the club last year. The Nets hold a $4,041,249 option on his contract for next season and must make a decision on it this month.
- Despite the war in Israel, the Nets’ preseason game against Maccabi Ra’anana is still expected to take place Thursday at Barclays Center. The exhibition hasn’t been cancelled or delayed, Lewis tweets.
- There’s still a Toppin on the Knicks, though he’s a long shot to make the roster. While the front office traded away his brother Obi to Indiana, Jacob Toppin is trying to prove he’s an NBA player, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News writes. “He’s my brother, but he has his own path and I have my own path, and this whole process, I’ve been trying to focus on myself and be better every single day and that’s what I’ve been doing,” Jacob said. “This whole summer is just working to be a better version of myself everyday. So, that’s what I’ve been focused on.” The younger Toppin signed an Exhibit 10 deal after going undrafted out of Kentucky. He’s likely to wind up with the G League’s Westchester Knicks.
Hornets’ James Bouknight To Undergo Left Knee Surgery
Hornets guard James Bouknight will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday to address a meniscus injury in his left knee, the team announced in a press release.
The third-year guard suffered the injury on Thursday during a training camp practice. Bouknight will be reevaluated in four weeks.
It’s a huge setback for the 2021 lottery pick out of UConn, who has disappointed during his first two NBA seasons. He appeared in just 34 games last season off the bench after seeing action in 31 games as a rookie. He’s averaged 5.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.6 minutes per game during his two-year career.
Bouknight came to camp without a clear role. He’s not guaranteed any money beyond this season. The Hornets must decide this month whether to pick up their $6MM rookie scale option on Bouknight for the 2024/25 campaign.
That seems even more unlikely now that he won’t be available at the start of this season.
Community Shootaround: James Harden
The Damian Lillard saga ended a couple of weeks ago. The drama regarding James Harden remains unresolved.
Contrary to early concerns, Harden reportedly hasn’t been disruptive during the Sixers’ training camp. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden will be “engaged” as long as he feels Philadelphia’s front office will continue to pursue a trade with the Clippers, his preferred destination.
That seems unlikely to happen in the short term. There’s “no traction” on a potential swap between those two parties, Wojnarowski said on Monday.
Reportedly the Clippers have offered a future first-rounder, a pick swap and expiring contracts for Harden. The Sixers’ top executive, Daryl Morey, is holding out for more assets.
Morey is intent on protecting his cap space for next offseason. That’s why the Sixers’ haven’t pursued an extension with their other starting guard, Tyrese Maxey. They could have the most cap space of any team if they don’t add future salary to their balance sheet.
It’s hard to tell just how much the Clippers want Harden. Coach Tyronn Lue has stated that he wants his club to take the regular season more seriously and get a better seed in a pivotal season for the franchise. Would Harden blend in well with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George or would acquiring him lead to some chemistry issues?
As we saw with Lillard’s situation, there could be a surprise outcome. Few anticipated Lillard would wind up in Milwaukee and Jrue Holiday would become the starting point guard for one of its main Eastern Conference rivals.
So the possibility of Harden winding up with another team that lost out in the Lillard/Holiday sweepstakes, such as Miami or Toronto, can’t entirely be ruled out. It’s also not out of the question Harden could be traded to a non-contender in a salary-dumping move if Morey is willing to add a sweetener or two, rather than the other way around.
That brings us to our topic of the day: How do you think the Harden saga will end? Will he stay in Philadelphia, get traded to the Clippers or be moved to a mystery team?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 10/10/2023
The transcript of our weekly Tuesday chat can be accessed at this link.
Please join Luke Adams for our next live chat on Thurday.
Clippers Waive Brodric Thomas, Sign Nate Darling
The Clippers have waived Brodric Thomas and brought back Nate Darling on an Exhibit 10 deal, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
Thomas was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract in late September. He appeared in a total of 44 NBA regular season games from 2020-22 for the Rockets, Cavaliers, and Celtics, averaging 3.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per contest.
Thomas will likely to end up with the Ontario Clippers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate. He would earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived by L.A. and then spends at least 60 days with Ontario.
Darling was waived by the Clippers shortly after they signed him to a two-way deal. He played 21 games for Ontario last season, including 11 starts, and averaged 21.3 points in 31.3 minutes per game. His NBA regular season experience is limited to seven outings with Charlotte during the 2020/21 season.
Atlantic Notes: Harden, Hart, Dick, Quickley
James Harden hasn’t been a distraction for the Sixers yet, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link), but that’s predicated on whether the front office continues to seek a trade. Wojnarowski provided an update on the Harden situation on NBA Countdown.
“I think what they have found out so far is that as long as James Harden believes that the Sixers and worked toward, and engaged in finding him a trade, specifically to the Clippers, he’s going to be engaged,” Wojnarowski said. “If James Harden loses that hope, that they are not engaged, that they are not serious about trading him, specifically again to L.A., that’s when they may have more problems with Harden.”
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Knicks’ Josh Hart will see more action at power forward with Obi Toppin traded to Indiana and Hart is fine with that, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. “I’m whatever we need, man,” Hart said. “I (would bring) the ball up last year. You’ve seen there’s times when I’m setting screens, rolling. I’m guarding point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards. It’s just a little whatever they need.”
- Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic didn’t put first-round pick Gradey Dick into the team’s preseason game on Sunday until the late going. Rajakovic says Dick has work to do before he challenges for a rotation spot, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “There is no skipping steps there,” Rajaković said. “He needs to do his job in the weight room. He’s already doing a great job and is very compliant. But it just takes time. You know, you cannot be 22 before you’re 19. And for him, he’s going to take a second to get there.”
- Immanuel Quickley, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension during training camp, says he put in extensive work with trainer Reese Whitely during the offseason to prepare for the season, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I feel like I got a lot stronger, locking in with my guy Reese back in Miami, we pretty much went like five days a week, taking care of my body, lifting, eating right, stronger and just pretty much every facet,” the Knicks guard said.
And-Ones: Shaq, Kidd-Gilchrist, Israel, Brown, Colson, Williamson
Hall of Fame center and TNT commentator Shaquille O’Neal wants a piece of a Las Vegas franchise if the NBA expands there, he told Arash Markazi of TheMessenger.com.
“I would like to have my own group,” O’Neal said. “I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that. I don’t want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself.”
Well, he’ll need some partners — O’Neal’s worth is reportedly around $400MM. NBA franchises are selling in the billions. O’Neal adds that he’s lived in the city for over 20 years and wants to see it continue to grow.
We have more from around the international basketball world:
- The Knicks waived Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in December 2020 and he never played in the NBA again. New details have surfaced regarding Kidd-Gilchrist’s sudden disappearance from the league, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. According to a lawsuit filed in a Charlotte court, the reason is a COVID-19-related heart condition that should have made Kidd-Gilchrist eligible for a insurance payout. Kidd-Gilchrist sued London-based insurance company Lloyd’s Underwriters for $40MM for refusing to pay him after a diagnosis of “myopericarditis,” an inflammation of the heart muscle. Another doctor “found” by Lloyd’s Underwriters claimed Kidd-Gilchrist suffered from a different heart ailment and wasn’t “disabled under the policy,” according to the lawsuit.
- FIBA Europe has suspended all games involving Israeli teams in all competitions until further notice due to the war in that country and safety issues at those games, Sportando relays. The suspension includes all upcoming home and away games of five Israeli teams in EuroCup Women and the FIBA Europe Cup.
- In a related topic, foreign players on Maccabi Tel Aviv have left the country for Cyprus, according to another Sportando post. That group includes ex-NBA players Lorenzo Brown and Bonzie Colson.
- Which five players will define this season? According to The Ringer’s Michael Pina, that group includes the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson and the Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis.